|
|
| Re: Q22 & Q35 bus routes redesign, coming soon? (328924) | |||
 |
|||
| Home > BusChat | |||
|
[ Read Responses | Post a New Response | Return to the Index ] |
|
||
|
Re: Q22 & Q35 bus routes redesign, coming soon? |
|
|
Posted by BrooklynBus on Sat May 12 15:00:46 2018, in response to Re: Q22 & Q35 bus routes redesign, coming soon?, posted by BrooklynBus on Fri May 11 12:13:25 2018. Here are the details of the bus stop elimination from last year's Rockaway Wave. So why is it not included in the Open House notification?It is because they don't want you to know the details ahead of time. Destined To Fail CB14 rejects MTA’s bus stop reduction plan The Wave | on October 12, 2017 By Ralph Mancini The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) wants to eliminate bus stops as part of a plan to provide increased service in Rockaway. At the Community Board 14 monthly meeting, however, board members unanimously voted to oppose the controversial proposal. MTA Assistant Director of Community Relations Simone Price was among the agency representatives on hand at the Knights of Columbus on Tuesday, Oct. 10 to promote a plan to improve bus speed and service reliability in the eastern part of the peninsula by short turning the Q22’s westbound route at Beach 116th Street on every other trip. Straphangers headed toward Jacob Riis Park, according to the recommendation, would then board the Q35, whose travel path would undergo a revision by moving its route from Newport Avenue to Rockaway Beach Boulevard. A study conducted by the MTA and the Department of Transportation (DOT), Price explained, would theoretically save buses nine minutes westbound and 11 minutes eastbound in an effort to serve commuters with more frequent service. But those in attendance were also told that 15 eastbound bus stops along the Q22 route would be discontinued in order to make the conversion viable. The stops include Beach 34th Street, Beach 38th Street, Beach 49th Street, Beach 75th Street, Beach 77th Street and Beach 86th Street. Beach 27th Street and Beach 73rd Street, on the other hand, would get relocated to Camp Road and Beach 74th Street respectively. Furthermore, the elimination of 10 more bus stops would also be slated for the western side, including Beach 106th Street, Beach 118th Street, Beach 124th Street, Beach 131st Street, Beach 137th Street and Beach 141st Street. Beach 77th Street is the one stop that would relocate to Beach 79th Street. “If we can short turn every other trip,” reasoned MTA Principal Transportation Planner Warren Berry, “we can get the necessary buses back to the east side, which is about 80 percent of our total ridership.” CB14 Chairperson Dolores Orr wasn’t buying the grand-scale alterations and voiced her concern about the added congestion that would result from shifting the Q35 on the Q22’s daily path. She estimated that 200 buses would end up traveling up and down Beach 116th Street with district police cars crowding the area along with fire engines pulling in and out of the local firehouse on the same road. When questioned by Orr on how long would it take someone headed to Beach 120th Street to board a new bus after being dropped off at Beach 116th Street, the MTA employees responded that they didn’t know and that the schedule of a new route pattern hadn’t yet been executed. Fellow board member Annette Lord-Cohen took issue with the proposed eradication of the bus stops at Beach 34th Street, Beach 38th Street and Beach 49th Street informing the speakers of the impact it would have on the elderly and infirm, many of whom depend on walkers to get around. “There’s a church on Beach 37th Street and Beach Channel Drive. That’s a ridership,” said Lord-Cohen. “You have a community center in the 40s that they use.” “The guidelines need to be changed because if you went down to city planning, you would know that on Beach 36th and Beach Channel Drive, they are putting up senior housing. There’s major development going on. So, what you are saying to me now is that you’re going to eliminate [the bus stops], only to [return] and bring them back?” Price countered by assuring the board that the MTA never decides to make changes “arbitrarily” and added that senior commuters have other transportation options, such as Access-A-Ride. The suggestion was met with scorn as CB14 Parks and Public Safety Chair Jose Velez spoke about how Access-A-Ride often forces his mother to wait for hours to get the service she needs and shouldn’t be considered an option. The agency’s plan, he maintained, is only making students, the elderly and working people alike walk or even run a little further every day to catch the bus. “I’m disappointed because I don’t think you’re taking people into account; you’re just taking guidelines into account,” stated Velez. Several of the board members, including Noreen Ellis, griped about Rockaway Beach Boulevard being a narrow and congested corridor that isn’t suited to handle any additional bus routes. “You’re going to have three buses on a short, narrow street. It’s just destined to fail,” said Ellis. “We’re isolated, desolated and neglected by the MTA and now you’re asking us to have faith in this conceptual idea? I ask you to relook at your numbers and come back when you can service our community.” The proposal failed to generate any level of support or positive feedback from the local audience. Sonia Moise implored the MTA liaisons to pay attention to the numerous complaints communicated by her colleagues on the board considering that her group is a representation of the entire Rockaway area from one end of the peninsula to the other. “I hope to God you’re listening to us,” she said. “You said this was a proposal, but we don’t like it.” |
|
(There are no responses to this message.)
|
|